Like father, like son
Easton Poirier is following in his father’s footsteps, but only to a point.
The son of former St. Catharines Falcons enforcer Steve Poirier also plays with an edge for the Niagara North Stars U16 AAA squad but says their game differs in one area.
“He has helped me,” Easton Poirier said of his father. “I kind of followed, not his role, but (I’m) a similar type player that can score, though.”
Easton Poirier collected 11 goals and 31 points for the North Stars this season. His father played for the Falcons for five years, from 1992/93 through 1996/97, accumulating 27 goals and 99 points to go along with a whopping 924 minutes in penalties and is regarded as one of the toughest Falcons ever to suit up for the team.
Easton Poirier may have more of a scoring touch than his father but it’s his willingness to mix it up, to go along with his offensive prowess, that impressed North Stars head coach Jay Glenney.
“Easton had a great season this year,” Glenney said. “He battled a couple of big injuries that kept him out of the lineup for a while but we were a much tougher team to play with him in the lineup. His shot and physical play were his two biggest assets and he used both very effectively. Other teams knew when Easton was on the ice.”
Easton Poirier, who attends Grade 10 at Sir Winston Churchill, admits he doesn’t mind the rough stuff.
“I use my physicality the most. I use my shot when I can and I have good heads up in the offensive zone to make my team much better,” he said.
He is looking forward to the Ontario Hockey League draft this weekend and says has he has been in contact with a handful of teams as well as some schools.
“I’m putting in the work. I’m trying to get on the ice as much as possible and I’m really looking forward to the draft,” he said. “I’ve played AAA my whole life for Niagara North Stars and I’ve been really looking forward to it and I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.”
Where he takes his talents next will depend heavily on the draft.
“Really, anywhere would be unbelievable. I haven’t made a choice, we’re trying to figure that out,” he said. “It’s a really hard decision so you just have to talk to family and see what’s best for you.”
Poirier, who overcame an AC separation (collar bone) and well as a knee injury this season, plans to follow the draft at home
“We’ll turn on the TV and have a couple of friends over with family and just see what happens,” he said.
The draft begins Friday with rounds 1-3 and continues Saturday with rounds 4-15.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 5,900 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
